U.S. patent application number 10/611826 was filed with the patent office on 2005-04-21 for vehicle bumper device and method.
Invention is credited to Wallman, Mattias.
Application Number | 20050082853 10/611826 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 29719690 |
Filed Date | 2005-04-21 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050082853 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Wallman, Mattias |
April 21, 2005 |
Vehicle bumper device and method
Abstract
The invention relates to a vehicle bumper device having an
impact face and a method for moving an impact face of a vehicle
bumper device upwards and inwards in relation to a vehicle upon
impact applied on the impact face. The impact face is attached to a
vehicle in an essentially upright state through attaching means.
The attaching means are arranged to upon impact cause the impact
face to move upwards and inwards in relation to the vehicle while
maintaining the essentially upright state.
Inventors: |
Wallman, Mattias; (Varberg,
SE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC.
SUITE 600 - PARKLANE TOWERS EAST
ONE PARKLANE BLVD.
DEARBORN
MI
48126
US
|
Family ID: |
29719690 |
Appl. No.: |
10/611826 |
Filed: |
July 1, 2003 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
293/133 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60R 21/34 20130101;
B60R 19/16 20130101; B60R 2019/186 20130101; B60R 19/18 20130101;
B60R 2019/1893 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
293/133 |
International
Class: |
B60R 019/34 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jul 1, 2002 |
EP |
02014532.2 |
Claims
1. A vehicle bumper device comprising: an impact face being
attachable to a vehicle in a substantially upright position; and an
attaching means connecting the impact face to the vehicle, the
attaching means being arranged upon impact to cause the impact face
to move upwards and inwards in relation to the vehicle while
maintaining said essentially upright state.
2. The vehicle bumper device according to claim 1, wherein the
impact face is a part adapted to be mounted in a forwardly
protruding position in relation to said vehicle.
3. The vehicle bumper device according to claim 1, wherein the
attaching means includes at least one lateral attachment member
arranged to extend in a lateral direction in relation to said
impact face.
4. The vehicle bumper device according to claim 3, wherein the at
least one lateral attachment member is arranged to be slightly
inclined in a downward direction in relation to a transversal plane
connecting the impact face and the vehicle.
5. The vehicle bumper device according to claim 1, wherein the
attaching means includes a plurality of distal end parts through
which the attaching means are connected to the impact face and
distal end parts through which the attaching means are attachable
to the vehicle.
6. The vehicle bumper device according to claim 5, wherein the
distal end parts include a plurality of areas arranged to permit
folding.
7. The vehicle bumper device according to claim 6, wherein the
plurality of areas are arranged to permit folding comprise foldable
notches.
8. The vehicle bumper device according to claim 1, wherein the
impact face is a plurality of deformable lamellae being regularly
spaced, such that the plurality of the deformable lamellae extends
over substantially the entire impact face in a vertical
direction.
9. A method for moving an impact face of a vehicle bumper device
upwards and inwards in relation to a vehicle upon impact applied on
said impact face, wherein said impact face is attached to a vehicle
in an essentially upright state through at least one lateral
attachment member, which at least one lateral attachment member is
connected to said impact face and attached to said vehicle through
distal end parts presenting areas permitting folding, whereby the
at least one lateral attachment member is inclined downwards in
relation to a transversal plane connecting said impact face and
said vehicle, the method comprising: Colliding an object with the
impact face; and Rotating the impact face upwards and inwards in
relation to said vehicle while the impact face maintains a
substantially upright position.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present patent application relates to a vehicle bumper
device. Particularly, the patent application relates to a vehicle
bumper device having an impact face and a method for moving an
impact face upwards and inwards in relation to a vehicle upon
impact applied on the impact face.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Collisions between moving vehicles and pedestrians often
occur at the front of the vehicle. Usually it is the lower body
part of the pedestrians which then is first impacted and
consequently subjected to deformation forces. The legs and knees of
the pedestrians are in such collisions often seriously injured even
at low speeds. Furthermore, there is a risk that the pedestrians
end up beneath the car at collisions and are run over. In order to
alleviate the injuries to pedestrians in the event of collisions,
vehicle manufacturers have developed a number of different bumper
devices intended to be mounted at the front of vehicles. Bumper
devices also aim to reduce the speed, impact to another car or for
example a wall.
[0003] It is believed that pedestrians are more seriously injured
if a collision with a car results in the pedestrians being knocked
down onto the ground than if the pedestrians are directed upwards
onto the bonnet by a bumper device. In order to reduce the
injuries, it is therefore beneficial if bumper device directs an
impacted body upwards as soon as possible upon an impact. One
bumper device, which guides an impacted body to be thrown upwards
onto the bonnet is previously known through GB 2 321 624. This
known bumper device has an upper fender part with a front impact
face and a lower fender part having a buffer at the front. The
upper and lower fender parts are either displaceable in relation to
each other or are unified. The upper fender part is arranged to
upon an impact at the impact face be displaced in a rearward
direction and the lower fender part and the buffer are arranged to
be displaced in a forward direction in relation to the moving car.
Consequentially, the bumper assembly then guides the impacted body
to be thrown upwards and rearwards in relation to the moving car
onto the bonnet.
[0004] The complex nature of the above mentioned bumper device with
many parts interacting upon impacts result in a complex production
procedure and the risk that the whole function of the bumper device
is prevented if one of the parts interacting is damaged.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] One object of the present invention is to provide an
improved vehicle bumper device and method which upon impact of a
body on a vehicle, aids in reducing injuries to the legs and
knees.
[0006] Preferred embodiments are listed in the dependent
claims.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0007] In the following, the invention will be described in greater
detail with reference to attached drawings, in which
[0008] FIG. 1 is a side view of a first embodiment of the bumper
device,
[0009] FIG. 2 is a side view of the bumper device according to FIG.
1 following an impact,
[0010] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing part of the front end
of a car to which the bumper device is mounted,
[0011] FIG. 4 is a side end view of the bumper device mounted to
the car according to FIG. 3,
[0012] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the
bumper device,
[0013] FIG. 6 is a top view of the bumper device according to FIG.
5 following an impact of a small and a large object
respectively.
[0014] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of the
bumper device.
DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
[0015] FIG. 1 shows a side view of a first embodiment of a bumper
device 1 according to the present invention. The bumper device 1
comprises an impact face 2, which constitutes the front part of the
bumper device 1 and is intended to be mounted to a vehicle 3 in a
forwardly protruding position. At collisions occurring at the front
of the vehicle 3 it is thus the impact face 2 that is hit by the
impacted object. The construction of the impact face 2 and its
function together with other parts of the bumper device 1 in the
event of an impact are therefore important to reduce injuries on
the impacted object as much as possible.
[0016] In the first embodiment of the invention, as shown in FIG. 1
the impact face 2 is attached to the vehicle 3 in an essentially
upright state, providing an upright front of the vehicle 3. An
impact face 2 having an essentially upright state is believed to
imply for an earlier start of an upward rotation of an impacted
object compared to an inclined impact face.
[0017] The attachment of the impact face 2 to the front of the
vehicle 3 is mediated through attaching means 4, which are arranged
so that upon impact that the impact face is moved upwards and
inwards in relation to the vehicle 3 when mounted thereto. The
attaching means 4 causes the impact face 2 to move upwards and
inwards while maintaining the essentially upright state and thereby
aid in rotating an impacted object upwards.
[0018] In the embodiment of the bumper device 1, as shown in FIG.
1, the attaching means 4 comprise two lateral attachment members 5
extending from the impact face 2 in a lateral direction to
laterally connect the impact face 2 with the vehicle 3. In order to
provide for the upwards and inwards movement, the lateral
attachment members 5 are arranged to be slightly downwards inclined
in relation to a transversal plane connecting the impact face 2 and
the vehicle 3. The downward inclination of the lateral attachment
members 5 implies that the impact face 2 only can be rotated
upwards and therefore it also aids in preventing the impacted
object from ending up beneath the vehicle.
[0019] Furthermore the attaching means 4 have distal end parts 6,
7, through which the attaching means 4 are connected to the impact
face 2 and attached to the vehicle 3 respectively. The distal end
parts 6, 7 also present areas 8,9, which are foldable and permit
movement of the lateral attachment members 5 in relation to both
the vehicle 3 and the impact face 2 while being respectively
connected and attached thereto. The areas 8,9 permitting folding
can for example comprise foldable notches.
[0020] As previously mentioned, it is often the legs and knees that
are seriously injured in the event of a collision between a moving
vehicle 3 and a pedestrian. However it is very important to try to
protect the knees, since they are body parts which are very
sensitive to injury. Therefore, the impact face 2 has such a height
and is mounted to the vehicle 3 at such a height that a knee in a
collision is likely to hit the impact face 2 with no part of the
knee joint not covered by the impact face 2.
[0021] When for example a leg of a pedestrian hits the impact face
2 in a collision between a moving vehicle 3 and a pedestrian, the
collision energy is used for moving the impact face 2 upwards and
inwards in relation to the vehicle 3 and thereby directing the
impacted leg to rotate upwards and inwards onto the bonnet. Such an
upwards and inwards movement of the impact face 2 is mediated by
the lateral attachment members 5, which permitted by the foldable
areas 8,9 of the distal end parts 6,7 and the downwards inclination
upon an impact rotates upwards and inwards while keeping the impact
face 2 in an essentially upright state. A side view of the first
embodiment of the bumper device 1 after an impact is shown in FIG.
2.
[0022] FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 show a bumper device according to the
invention mounted to a car in a perspective view and a side view
respectively.
[0023] FIG. 5 shows in a perspective view an alternative embodiment
of a bumper device 10 combining pedestrian protection and low speed
impact to for example a wall or another vehicle. The bumper device
10 comprises an impact face 11, which is intended to constitute the
front part of the bumper device 10 and is intended to be mounted in
a forwardly protruding position to the vehicle 3. The attachment of
the bumper device 10 to the vehicle 3 is mediated through two
lateral attachment members 12 extending in a lateral direction from
the upper and lower end respectively of the impact face 11. The
lateral attachment members 12 have distal end parts 13, which are
mounting structures of the bumper device 10 and are mountable to
the front of the vehicle 3.
[0024] Furthermore, the impact face 11 and the lateral attachment
members 12, except for the distal end parts 13, of the alternative
embodiment shown in FIG. 5 are constituted by rib-like lamellae 14,
which are regularly spaced in the transverse direction of the
bumper device 10. Each lamella 14 extend from one distal end part
13 to the other distal end part 13 and therefore follows and builds
the structure of the bumper device 10. The size of the spacing
between the lamellae 14 should be as small as possible, but has to
provide that the lamellae 14 do not affect each other and the width
of each lamellae should suitably not be larger than 50 mm.
[0025] The bumper device 10 is preferably made of a plastic
material, which is deformable. The lamellae 14 are deformable
independently of each other and the deformation occur toward the
vehicle 3 by the lamellae 14 being pressed together. In the event
of an impact on the impact face 11 the lamellae 14 are deformed
absorbing the collision energy. The number of affected lamellae 14
and the degree of deformation depends on the area of the impacted
object which contacts the impact face 11. The degree of deformation
depends on the area of the impacted object which contacts the
impact face, i e the number of affected lamellae 14.
[0026] At a collision with a relatively small object, for example a
human leg, only a few lamellae 14 are affected. In such a case the
affected lamellae 14 are highly deformed because the contact area
with the impact face 11 is small and a few lamellae 14 have to
absorb the collision energy. A relatively long braking distance and
low deceleration of the impacted object is thus achieved and the
forces exerted by the bumper device 10 on the impacted object are
then reduced compared to a bumper with which a high deceleration is
achieved. Therefore the bumper device 10 works as a soft bumper in
collisions with small objects. A top view of such a collision is
shown in FIG. 6.
[0027] FIG. 6 also shows a top view of a collision with a large
object. If a relatively large object, for example another vehicle
or a wall, is involved in a collision, several lamellae 14 are
affected due to the relatively large area of contact on the impact
face 11. Then the collision energy is absorbed by several lamellae
14 implying that the lamellae 14 are only slightly deformed.
Therefore the deformed lamellae 14 brake the impacted object with a
short braking distance and high deceleration. Thus, the bumper
device 10 acts as a stiff bumper to large objects.
[0028] Yet a further embodiment of a bumper device 15 is shown in
FIG. 7, which bumper device 15 constitutes a combination of the
bumper device 1 and the bumper device 10. The bumper device 15 is
constructed by the same parts as the bumper device 1, comprising an
impact face 16 intended to be mounted to the front of the vehicle 3
in a forwardly protruding position. Furthermore the bumper device
15 comprises attaching means 17, which mediate the attachment of
the impact face 16 to the vehicle 3. The attaching means 17
comprise lateral attachment members 18 extending in a laterally
direction to laterally connect the impact face 16 with the vehicle
3 and distal end parts 19, 20 connected to the impact face 16 and
attachable to the vehicle 3 respectively. The distal end parts 19,
20 comprise foldable areas 21, 22 to permit movement of the lateral
attachment members 18 upwards and inwards in relation to the
vehicle 3. The upwards and inwards movement of the lateral
attachment members 18 upon an impact is provided by the lateral
attachment members 18 being downwards inclined in relation to a
transversal plane connecting the impact face 16 and the vehicle
3.
[0029] The impact face 16, the distal end parts 19 and the lateral
attachment members 18 of the bumper device 15 are constituted by
lamellae 23, which also are used to constitute the bumper device
10. The lamellae 23 are rib-like and are regularly spaced in the
transverse direction of the bumper device 15. Each lamellae 23
extend from one of the distal end parts 20 to the other distal end
part 20 following and building the structure of the bumper device
15. Furthermore, the lamellae 23 are deformable and contacted
lamellae are highly deformed upon impacts with small objects and
slightly deformed upon impacts with large objects. Thus the bumper
device 15 acts as a soft bumper to small impacted objects and as a
stiff bumper to large impacted objects.
[0030] In the event of a collision of the bumper device 15 with a
small object, the collision energy is both absorbed by the few
contacted lamellae 23, which thereby are relatively highly
deformed, and used for upwards and inwards movement of the impact
face 16 to aid in rotating the impacted object upwards and inwards.
Thus the bumper device 15 then both acts as a soft bumper and as a
bumper preventing the impacted object from ending up beneath the
vehicle 3.
[0031] At collisions of the bumper device 15 with a large object,
the collision energy is partly absorbed by the several contacted
lamellae 23 and partly used to rotate the impact face 16 upwards.
Therefore, the bumper device 15 then acts both as a stiff bumper
and aid in rotating the impacted face 16 upwards.
[0032] The invention is not to be limited to the above described
embodiments, but may be varied within the scope of the following
claims.
* * * * *